Despicable Me 2

Despicable Me 2 Movie Review . . .

Minions over here, minions over there, minions, minions everywhere! Our favorite ‘despicable’ characters are back in the sequel, Despicable Me 2. Gru is back but, this time, he’s on the other side of the playing field.

Now a loving and *ahem* unique father, Gru has mostly given up his evil ways and has embarked on a legitimate jam-making business. Between his avoiding the neighbor’s matchmaking efforts and trying to prevent the girls from growing up, he finds himself beckoned by the AVL (Anti Villain League) to hunt the newest baddie to threaten world peace. Going undercover at the local mall, Gru must find the main suspect and thwart his plans.

This movie fits perfectly as a continuation of the original Despicable Me without being a recap. We had high expectations and were not disappointed. The dynamics of the Gru family has changed to a more natural one but things are slightly changing. Agnes is still an excitable cutie that loves unicorns and her beloved new father, Edith is a secret ninja in training that thinks any dating, kissing, etc. is gross, but Margo is reaching the age when she’s noticing the suave young son of a restaurant owner. Add a quirky female spy to the mix as Gru’s new partner (who’s always been a fan of Gru’s work by the way) and you won’t notice a single dull moment.

This movie provides oodles of fun from start to end and has plenty of minion moments. Their secret language, frivolous bickering, and hilarious take on even the simplest things is more apparent this time around. We realize just how many minions Gru has and that this could either be a good thing or a really, really bad thing.

The humor is the same as in the first movie which is, well, a bit naughty. I don’t mean dirty or distasteful but just the kind that kind of makes you go, “Oh! Did they just say what I think they did?” before cracking up. For example, the head of the AVL is named Ramsbottom. The minions can’t help bu giggle and repeat ‘bottom’ over and over. Before exiting, Gru refers to him as Lambs-butt. After being corrected by the man himself, Gru says, “Like that’s any better”. Lots of those jokes make the kids smile and the adults secretly feel like kids again.

Just a note, one minion wakes up during an island party and gleefully throws off his overalls as he runs into the oceans . . . with a naked bum, of course. There is also a good bit of shooting. Though they are only shooting jam, there is a scene with Edith wielding a fruit-filled machine gun that may be disturbing. I will also warn you of a good amount of chest hair exposure. Aside from that, most other parts are in good fun and pretty much in line with the same feeling as the first movie.

Again, Steve Carrel does an excellent job as Gru. The other actors are so good that you don’t even notice them, meaning that their voices blend seamlessly with the animation. Dialogue was clear and clever. The graphics are even more smooth and detailed in this movie. The bright color scheme does wonders in keeping the movie on the up and up and non-creepy for kids. My daughter had a ball watching from start to end. I thought the sequel was fantastic and even had some serious ‘laugh out loud’ moments. Can I just say that I really, really, want a stuffed minion now?

The storyline stayed solid throughout, which scored Despicable Me 2 major brownie points from my husband. That’s also the reason he was so irked to have to take our daughter to the bathroom during the film. With that in mind, make sure you take the kids to the bathroom before the show begins and don’t give them anything to drink. You won’t want to miss even a second! Also, make sure to stay for a good portion of the credits as there are a few more bits to see. This part alone makes it worth it to watch the movie in 3D!

Despicable Me 2 opens today! So make sure to bring the whole family as soon as possible because, if you’re anything like us, you’ll probably want to see it again right away! Be prepared for a whole lot of happy campers humming the new tunes and for some extra time playing with the ‘whack-a-minion’ display in the lobby.

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My family and I received complimentary admission to a pre-screening of this film for review purposes. No monetary compensation was given. All opinions are my own.